Rio Soléy Design

Rio Soléy is the designer behind the hand drawn Paris map that helps people see that Bill & Rosa’s Book Room is not far at all from Paris center. We love her work which is both elegant and whimsical at the same time. Her journey in lettering started at the age of 5 when her parents enrolled her in a calligraphy class. Since then, she’s been captivated by the intricacies of letterforms and the artistry involved in evoking diverse emotions through them. She tells us a bit more about herself and her art, including her beautifully thought out and crafted IRO print collection.

1. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Hello! I’m Rio Soléy, a digital artist & designer specialised in lettering. I create and sell art prints that evoke optimism, simplicity, and tranquility. I’m from Japan, but I’ve lived in Canada, the UK, Germany, and now in France. When I’m not creating art prints, I’m painting letters on store signs and vitrines to help shop owners in Paris stand out and convey their value of artisanship.

2. What is lettering and when did you start being interested in it?

You know how we all have our own handwriting? A beautified version of handwriting is calligraphy. When you draw letters, that’s lettering. Calligraphy consists of single strokes whereas in lettering, we draw the outlines and fill it. I wish I could show you in person, it’s always a challenge to explain this to my clients as well!

3. What mediums do you use for your art?

All my prints are hand-drawn digitally on iPad with a digital pen. Although it’s a digital medium, I take pride in the texture of the lines. My main medium is a very simple and basic pencil texture. It’s very important to me that my customers feel the human touch, and have a special, one-of-a-kind art print at hand.

4. What inspires your work and how is your work influenced by your multicultural background?

Intentional or not, my work is definitely inspired by different cultures and languages that surround me. But it’s also about embracing simple things in life, and my favourite part is that these are a universal concept. Having a coffee, doing absolutely nothing on holiday, gathering with friends over a glass of wine…the collections of these themes are planned to be released before summer 2024.

5. Tell us a bit about your IRO art print collection.

This collection holds a special place in my heart and it went out with the launch of my online shop. Each print is filled in a single Japanese colour that was used with traditional dyeing techniques over 1000 years ago. The print also features traditional Japanese patterns and calligraphy of each name. Each name has a poetic and heartwarming story behind it, and I enjoy sharing these stories with my customers. You can find these stories on the product description on my website as well (example: https://riosoley.com/products/konjou-fine-art-print).

6. What do you like most about being a freelancer?

Being able to dream of endless possibilities. And not having to wake up super early in the morning!

7. Do you have a favorite letter?

I think it’s the ampersand (“&”)! Having drawn all the letters in different styles so many times, it’s like a refuge that allows me to play.

8. Where can we find your art?

My website with my little online shop: https://riosoley.com/

But I also hang out a lot and post my latest work on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rio_soley_design/